In East and Southeast Asia, democracies and dictatorships alike have long skewed toward severe penalties for marijuana users. Thailand, a key ally in America’s global war on drugs, has been no exception. But the perception of cannabis has begun to change with astonishing speed. Thailand’s right-wing government recently legalized medical cannabis — and identified the creation of […]
Asia
Thailand set to deliver first batch of medical marijuana
Thailand plans to distribute about 10,000 bottles of cannabis oil next week for hospital patients, a government official said on Thursday, the first official use of medical marijuana since a law legalizing it came into effect this year. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) will deliver 4,500 5ml bottles of cannabis oil to the Ministry of […]
Medical Marijuana Takes Over Asia Despite Duterte’s Drug War
Expectations are soaring that a booming market for medical marijuana is emerging in many Asian countries. This growth comes despite the stigma around the cannabis plant and the harsh punishment for drug peddlers in many countries as in the Philippines’ war on drugs sustained by President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against narcotics. The latest cannabis news is that […]
Beijing says US legalization of marijuana is a ‘threat to China’
Beijing’s leading drug enforcement body has blamed the legalization of marijuana in Canada and parts of the United States for a spike in the amount of drugs smuggled into the country, describing it as a “new threat to China.” At a press conference in Beijing Monday, Liu Yuejin, deputy director of the China National Narcotics […]
Could fully legal marijuana in Thailand be next?
It was a public declaration basically without precedent in Asia. Few politicians, and certainly none who are running for prime minister, ever had the audacity to say what Anutin Charnvirakul did. “Marijuana is not a drug that should be illegal – it’s that simple,” claimed Anutin, the man who is leading Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party into […]
Thailand approves medical marijuana in New Year’s ‘gift’
Thailand approved marijuana for medical use and research on Tuesday, the first legalization of the drug in a region with some of the world’s strictest drug laws. The junta-appointed parliament in Thailand, a country which until the 1930s had a tradition of using marijuana to relieve pain and fatigue, voted to amend the Narcotic Act […]
Philippine President Duterte will sign any bill legalizing medical marijuana — Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign any bill that will legalize the use of medical marijuana in the Philippines, his spokesperson said Tuesday. In a media briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo reiterated that Duterte favors the use of medical marijuana and will support any legislative measure consistent with his stand. “He (The President) is in favor […]
Weeding out foreigners: strains over Thailand’s legalization of marijuana
Thailand is set to become the first Asian country to legalize medical marijuana, but a battle is brewing between local and foreign firms over control of a potentially lucrative market. With parliament set to approve the legislation as early as next month, Thai businesses and activists have raised concerns that a raft of patent requests […]
South Korea Legalizes Medical Marijuana
In a major development for the cannabis industry, South Korea legalized medical marijuana — though with many restrictions. It’s the first country in East Asia to legalize weed and only the second Asian country to do so. What Happened. South Korea’s National Assembly voted on amendments to the Act on the Management of Narcotic Drugs […]
Thailand Mulls Becoming the First Country in Asia to Legalize Medical Marijuana
Thailand is hoping to become the first country in Asia to legalize medical marijuana and tap into the burgeoning cannabis market, Agence France-Presse reports. According to a Thai official, a draft bill now under consideration proposes allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes, a considerable change in a country with tough drug trafficking laws. Jet Sirathraanon, the public health […]
Cannabis Executives, Investors See Asia Saying ‘Yes’ to Pot
The cannabis investor conference in Hong Kong this week started with some stern warnings against smoking pot in the city, which can land you in prison. Then folks got down to talking business. The Hong Kong Cannabis Investor Symposium on Thursday drew executives from some of the world’s hottest cannabis firms together with more than […]
Smoking Marijuana Is Legal in Canada, Unless You’re South Korean
Recreational cannabis use may now be legal in Canada, but South Koreans visiting the country who are tempted to smoke up risk facing punishment back home, their government warned on Tuesday. “Even if South Koreans are in a region where marijuana is legal, it will be illegal for them to consume it,” the South Korean […]
Australian Brand Launches First Japanese Medicinal Cannabis Campaign
Australian medicinal cannabis company Elixinol has launched Japan’s first campaign advertising their products following a long-fought battle with regulators. The ASX listed company has become the first to gain approval for a billboard advertising cannabidiol hemp oil – commonly known as CBD – in the country where medical marijuana has faced a fierce backlash by lawmakers. […]
